Understanding LATCH Evaluations When Purchasing Your Next Family Car
When Cedar Rapids, IA drivers install child safety seats in their vehicles, they use a built-in system of lower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH). LATCH systems are assessed by vehicle safety boards for overall ease of use. At Cassill Motors, we're committed to helping shoppers understand LATCH evaluations, their purpose, and their meaning.
Contrary to what many people think, LATCH evaluations are not meant to determine the safety of lower anchors and tethers. There is a mandatory legal requirement for safety that auto manufacturers must meet. Instead, these evaluations ultimately determine how easy and intuitive these features are to use. A vehicle with an impressive LATCH rating can make putting child safety seats in and taking them back out again a breeze.
What Factors Are Assessed?Multiple factors are assessed in LATCH evaluations. Among these is the angle of installation and the amount of force that parents must use to engage or disengage anchors and tethers. Accessibility is also a key point. LATCH systems should be easy to find whether they are floor-mounted or installed directly into a car's seats.
